


Oceans

by daitsuki



Series: I Make Souma and Izumi Talk For No Reason [3]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, it's really more like Kamegorou & Sena Izumi, shinobu is here briefly too gonin sorotte marine bio, sometimes dreams do come true maybe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 06:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21405589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daitsuki/pseuds/daitsuki
Summary: Izumi joins the new marine biology circle.
Relationships: Kanzaki Souma & Sena Izumi
Series: I Make Souma and Izumi Talk For No Reason [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1225361
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	Oceans

**Author's Note:**

> WHEN I FOUND OUT IZUMI WAS JOINING THE MARINE BIO CLUB WITH SOUMA I WROTE THIS LITERALLY AS FAST AS I COULD

"So, like, you literally just look at fish all day? Is that all you do?"

"It's not just looking at them, they're ours. Well, not _ours_, ours, but we're supposed to help raise them, or something."

Kaoru isn't even pretending to be paying attention to Izumi as they stand in front of the large tank full of tropical fish. In fact, Izumi is pretty sure he's actively checking his text messages on the smartphone peeking out of his pocket, but continues to press him anyway.

"Raise them? I only joined 'cause I thought this was some easy thing you'd always skip to go fuck around, how could-"

"Look, Senacchi," Kaoru sighs, now checking his reflection in the glass of the tank. "This wasn't really my thing, so maybe you should ask someone else if you wanna know the deets. I'm sure Kanata-kun would looove to talk your ear off about it."

"Well, he's not here now, is he?" Even if Kaoru's the only guy he really knows in this place, Izumi would obviously prefer to find someone who can tell him what's actually going on with this new circle thing.

"That's right, babe."

Izumi almost gives himself whiplash looking over in shock and disgust.

"Heart emoji."

Oh my god, is he using_ talk to text-_

"Kaoru-kun~ Oh...? And a new 'friend'?"

Speak of the devil, or maybe he'd been there the entire time, blending in with the fish or something. Kanata pokes his head out from behind another tank, which appears to house a ton of starfish. Just, an obscene amount of starfish. Do starfish count as actual fish? Izumi still isn't sure why he's here.

"Yeah, uh, hi. I'm Izumi Sena, but I guess you know that," Izumi introduces himself, sticking a hand out politely. Kanata grips it with his own- ugh, super cold, soaking wet hand? Gross...!

Kaoru doesn't even look up from his phone at Izumi's audible "_Euuugh_," now scrolling through Instagram. To be precise, he's speed-liking every single photo on Instagram without even looking at them- no, that one had a guy, so he skipped it. Is this some kind of skill?

Less than warm greeting aside, Kanata pushes on.

"Welcome to our 'circle'~ We have strange 'creatures,' like fish, and turtles, and frogs, and- Souma~"

"Souma?" Izumi hadn't heard of a fish called-

"BUCHOU-DONO!"

Said strange fish had burst into the room with a bright smile, the scabbard on his hip knocking into the doorway in his excitement.

"So this must be our new 'circle'?" The word falls clumsily off Souma's tongue, but he's unbothered as he buzzes around looking at the different tanks. "We have even more creatures to care for, and they are all so beautiful...!"

"Sooooouma," Kanata drawls and lightly chops the other boy on the head, who jumps with a quiet yelp. "Before that, a good boy should come meet the new 'members.' You found Shinobu-kun like I asked, yes?"

A tiny flash of purple bounces up from behind the frog tank.

"I have been delivered, Shinkai-dono! I was simply admiring the frogs...!"

The small boy dashes over with his arms outstretched behind him, making some weird stuttering noise, which Izumi finds extremely weird but no one else seems to bat an eye at. Well, Kaoru probably would have, but he's in the middle of trying to blend three different Snapchat filters.

With all five of them assembled now, Kanata takes a minute to look over the group, practically glowing with happiness as his arms float gently at his side.

"The five of us together... are the new marine biology circle~"

* * *

Kaoru leaves as soon as he deems it socially acceptable (about half an hour before it would actually be socially acceptable,) and Kanata had gleefully swept Shinobu off to feed the frogs at his request, leaving Izumi standing alone with the sword kid in front of an open tank of turtles. Great.

Izumi makes a face as he watches the turtles do... absolutely nothing. Maybe that one just moved? No, just his imagination. Still doing nothing.

The other boy looked like he was having the time of his life, though, earnestly beckoning to one over in the corner. Slowly, the turtle lifts a leg to crawl onto his outstretched palm, and Souma's expression is nothing short of completely enamored.

"Wow, you got it do something," Izumi comments, folding his arms and just watching. "Turtle whisperer over here."

"Kamegorou is a very smart turtle," Souma remarks with the tone of a proud parent. "I have taught him to do many other things as well - If you wish, we may show you!"

Izumi really has nothing better to do until his hair appointment later, so he just shrugs in silence, allowing Souma to interpret that as he will.

He delicately places Kamegorou on a nearby table, walks back a few paces, then crouches and claps like he's calling for a dog (or, you know, some other kind of REAL pet.)

"Kamegorou, come!"

Kamegorou stares. Souma stares. Izumi stares.

Souma shuffles slightly closer.

Kamegorou stares. Izumi stares.

"Good boy!" Souma exclaims and swoops the turtle back up, overjoyed.

Izumi checks his phone to see if he can move up his hair appointment.

"Wow. That must have taken a while," he remarks, dripping with sarcasm. Souma places Kamegorou back in the tank and gives him a little pet, which Izumi could have found cute if this had been literally any other situation.

"Indeed! Kamegorou trains hard, and I, too, make great efforts to help him grow." Souma pulls a small container out of his book bag, opening it to reveal a handful of tiny green dumplings. He places one by Kamegorou, who snaps it up immediately, much to Souma's delight.

"...You made those?" Izumi leans over to look at them. "I mean, not that they make turtle dumplings at any pet store I've ever been to."

"Yes!" Souma nods enthusiastically. "Whether I have spare time in the school kitchen, or I bring them from my home, they are certainly Kamegorou's favorite. Ah, but in moderation, of course. Too much food may do more harm than good. Though he can often be too cute to resist..."

"That's a lot of effort, though." Izumi waves his hand dismissively, ignoring Souma's cooing. "Isn't lettuce good enough? Or whatever _normal_ turtles eat?"

"Well, certainly they may eat the same as any other turtle of their species, and will likely grow just fine. But, a handmade meal, full of love... Surely that must help them grow even happier?"

Souma pats Kamegorou's head lightly with his finger, and Izumi can't quite name the effect that this... disgustingly pure display has on him.

_All that just for a stupid little turtle. As expected of a stupid guy._

"In any case," Souma says, straightening back up. "As a member of the new 'circle,' Sena-dono may take care of the creatures here any way he wishes. So long as they grow happy and healthy, you will find no complaint from me."

He glares toward the doorway.

"However. If you choose to laze about and disrespect the sanctity of this organization like a CERTAIN someone... I will not hesitate to cut you down."

Izumi looks at the hand he's placed on his katana, ready to brandish the weapon at the mere thought of Kaoru.

"Um... Right. I believe you," he replies plainly, not interested in further taunting someone clearly armed. "Well, it's getting late, so I'm gonna go to my... thing."

With that, he turns to the door, asking himself how he signed up to be part of such a mess.

* * *

"He said I _WHAT?_"

Kanata brings Kamegorou even closer to Izumi's face, and he can't even back away any further in disgust, already pressed against the wall. This wasn't the greeting he expected first thing in the morning.

"Souma said you looked after this turtle with him yesterday." Kanata's voice is calm, but assertive. "And since he is absent, for today he is in your 'care.' "

"Absent? Where is he, I never said I'd-"

Not taking any excuses, Kanata places Kamegorou into Izumi's cupped hands and there's not much he can do about it, short of dropping the poor thing on the floor. And it's not like it's the turtle's fault.

"Souma left some 'food' for him in the cooler. Play 'nice,' you two~" Kanata orders before floating away to... wherever.

Izumi looks down at the turtle. The turtle looks up at Izumi. Or at least, he thinks it does. Hard to tell with those beady little eyes.

"Um... Hi?" Maybe talking to it will help. That's what Souma-kun did, right? "I'm... Izumi. Izumi Sena. From Knights, and worldwide modeling fame, and- you're a turtle, you don't care."

He thinks he sees Kamegorou wiggle his butt a little, though, so that's something.

After setting the small creature down on the counter by the sink, he starts rooting around the club's cooler for whatever Souma had left. It's not hard to find the container marked with a bright green sticky note (shaped like a turtle, of course,) with a message written in shockingly elegant handwriting given the situation.

'Dear Sena-dono: I entrust you with Kamegorou in my absence. He is very dear to me, so please treat him with the utmost care. Inside are his favorite treats, but do not feed him too many. I fear he may develop health problems like Akehoshi-dono's beloved dog. -Kanzaki Souma'

Well, Izumi definitely knows how fat that dog is, so, valid concern.

"Kame-whatever, you're gonna be good, right? You're not gonna get all fat like that brat's dog-?"

When he turns to look over with a dumpling in hand, Kamegorou is nowhere to be seen.

"...Uh? Oh, fuck," Izumi starts to panic. "Kame... kawa? Kamekichi, hey? Christ, where can a turtle even go-"

He looks on the floor, in the sink, down the drain (god forbid) and tosses around every tool, book, and utensil on the stupidly cluttered counter, until he finally spots two tiny turtle legs sticking out from behind a potted plant.

Relieved both from finding him and from not having to be publicly executed by katana tomorrow, he slides the plant aside to try to pick him up, but Kamegorou moves faster than he ever thought a turtle could to desperately get back behind it.

...

Is he... hiding? God, is he _afraid?_

Izumi immediately feels terrible, even though it's just over a fucking turtle, and runs a nervous hand through his hair, sighing.

"Kame... Kame-kun? I scared you, didn't I, uh... Here."

He takes one of the dumplings and slowly scoots it over with his index finger, hoping it will do as a sort of "I come in peace" message translated into turtle.

It takes a minute, but Kamegorou peeks his head out to snap it up. He looks up at Izumi with his mouth open, seeming to almost be expectantly looking for seconds.

"Nuh uh, not like that," Izumi huffs, pulling out another and placing it halfway between them. "You want more, you have to come out."

He folds his arms and waits, but Kamegorou does eventually crawl out to get his prize. Izumi laughs to himself in surprise- is this what it feels like to train a pet? Maybe that guy was actually onto something.

Two dumplings later, Kamegorou is all the way to the edge of the counter by Izumi, and has even started to crawl into his palm, much like he'd seen yesterday with Souma.

His eyes go wide as the turtle slowly settles into his hand, unsure what to really do in this situation.

A whole life, a whole, tiny soul in the palm of his hand... trusting him not to crush it?

_Turtles really are stupid,_ Izumi reaffirms to himself, looking down in awe. _But... I guess they're not so bad._

* * *

"Oh...? I see you two are getting along well? How delightful!"

Souma beams at Izumi from the doorway the next day, setting down his book bag. Izumi, standing at the sink with a toothbrush in one hand and Kamegorou in the other, sets aside his shock for a moment to angrily point at him (with the toothbrush, not the turtle.)

"You! What do you think you were doing yesterday, huh?!" Izumi snaps. "Suddenly dumping this thing on me, seriously annoying!"

"But you did just fine, did you not?" Souma responds calmly, walking over to happily rub under Kamegorou's chin. If turtles could purr, he'd be doing it. "And it seems you are caring for 'that thing' quite kindly. Perhaps you have taken a liking to each other?"

Caught red-handed, it's hard for Izumi to explain his way out of this one.

"Well... It's not like that, you know? Kame-kun's- I mean, his shell was getting a bit dirty, so I thought I'd just-"

"Give him a bath? How kind," Souma replies sincerely. "I have neglected that part of my duty for longer than I should... This is my own mistake. Though, to be truthful, I often worry my hands are... too rough for him."

He frowns down at his calluses, thick and built up from years of training, and looks over at Izumi's cleanly manicured pair.

Izumi frowns, clicking his tongue and elbowing Souma gently.

"Excuse me-?"

"Quit that sort of talk," Izumi says firmly. "He's literally got a shell, I think he can take something like that. Besides, I- he knows you'd never try to hurt him... All the animals here have got to be thrilled someone like you is helping out."

Souma is quiet as Izumi hands Kamegorou back over to him, and gently strokes a line down his shell.

"...Perhaps." He looks up with serious eyes, nodding. "In any case, thank you, Sena-dono. In showing your care for Kamegorou, you have also earned my trust-"

"Oh? So it 'worked'?"

Kanata bounces from around the corner with one hand behind his back, using the other to pat Kamegorou's head with a wet finger.

"Buchou-dono...!"

"What do you mean? What worked?" Izumi asks, confused.

"Izumi's test," Kanata answers, explaining nothing.

"Test...?" Souma sounds equally puzzled.

"I knew he'd 'pass,' of course. Chiaki tells me he is always 'gentle,'" Kanata giggles to himself and produces his other hidden hand, which holds...

A tiny goldfish in a plastic bag.

He thrusts it into Izumi's hands (gently, of course) with no room for answers, as Izumi sensed would be a recurring theme.

"Um- This is...?"

"For Izumi~ His own 'friend' in the marine biology circle. Make sure he grows big and strong with lots of 'love,' okay?"

Izumi eyes the tiny fish in the bag, at a loss for words. Just for him, huh...?

"...Sure, president. Can do."

**Author's Note:**

> i have no idea what they're doing with these new circles but since souma and izumi are in not one but TWO together i have never felt more valid in my entire life


End file.
